As a consultant and board member, I have experienced board presentations from both sides of the table. During a recent round of first-quarter presentations, I was asked by a board to listen to the nonemployee presenters and produce guidelines for future presentations.

Based on my summary back to the board, here are there top four priorities for service provider presenters.

1. Do not sell

Few of us would ever go in with a sales pitch unless specifically asked, but this is not the type of selling to which boards are sensitive. Any time it sounds like you are referring to additional work, you have to be aware that there will be an underlying skepticism associated with the information you are presenting.

In a recent board meeting, I watched as a 20-plus-year veteran insurance broker explained all the problems with the policies, alarmingly and in detail. He did end up getting the board's attention but will also likely not get any repeat business as the board could not get passed the appearance that his motivation was to improve his own relationship with the organization.

When reviewing your final draft, assume the board will assume you are selling, then ensure you are providing balanced information as well as options for approaching solutions. It will help mitigate their skepticism and see you as the outside expert they hired.

2. Stick to your time

Do your homework before preparing and really understand how much time you have for your presentation, then be sure to incorporate time for questions, comments and discussion as appropriate. Be ready to go in early or hang around a bit in case they are off schedule. And, most importantly, appear collected whether they are running late, ask you to summarize in five minutes instead of 20, or otherwise change what you thought was going to happen.

I watched as a presenter was removed from the agenda because he appeared flustered when he was bumped 15 minutes. You are there for the board, appearing prepared regardless of the situation will again underscore your status as an outside expert.

3. Be judicious with handouts

Know the handout rules, period. Some boards forbid them, others need them two weeks in advance. Know the rules of getting documents to the board in advance. Further, understand what can be included in a document.

In most situations, documents presented in a board meeting are discoverable. As such, be sensitive to the fact that you might be there to discuss the results of an audit or point out the weaknesses of a system, neither of which might be things the board wants specifically memorialized in its minutes.

4. Know why you are there, but be flexible

It is quite possible that your item will be discussed before you even get in there. While it is critical to be prepared to present what you are asked and sensitive to the time and needs of the board, it is also important to understand that they may have already addressed aspects of the question you were to answer before you even arrive.

Noting that, check in before you start and confirm you are still on target with their needs. Similarly, be prepared to shift gears quickly if they ask you to focus on point three of your five-point presentation. Having the ability to respond to their needs again positions you as the outside expert with whom they will want to continue to work.